How to make wine from serviceberry

Irga is not a frequent visitor to Russians' plots. This is a deciduous shrub, the fruits of which are bluish-black berries with a bluish bloom, up to 1 cm in size, which resemble black currants in appearance. They are moderately sweet, quite juicy and aromatic. They are eaten fresh and made into sweet preparations and drinks, including wine. Wine from serviceberry is original, unusual and has a memorable taste. For those who want to make it, there are several simple recipes that can be used to prepare this intoxicating drink at home.

Characteristics of the berry

There are practically no proteins and fats in the serviceberry, but there is a huge amount of useful substances: sugars (more than 10%), organic acids (0.5-1%), pectins, vitamins (especially ascorbic acid), flavonoids (up to 40%) and mineral salts, tannins, phytosterols and fiber. The calorie content of the berry is low - only 45 kcal per 100 g. All this makes the irgu a tasty, valuable and healthy product.

It is not difficult to make wine from serviceberry at home, but some difficulty in preparing it is that it is not so easy to obtain the juice from its berries. If you grind them in a meat grinder, you get a thick jelly, not juice. Another difficulty is that they have rather low sugar content and acidity, so to increase the sugar in the fruit, the collected shadberry is first dried in the sun, and only then sent for processing. To increase acidity, lemon juice is added to the wort.

Traditional recipe for wine from serviceberry

How to squeeze juice correctly

To make homemade wine from serviceberry with your own hands, you first need to squeeze the juice from its berries. Winemakers do not recommend squeezing it using a juicer: the juice will be too thick and viscous. It is better to use two other ways to obtain it. But before this, the irgu needs to be prepared: sort through, remove unripe, spoiled berries, small leaves and twigs, and then rinse the remaining whole and usable berries under running water.

You need to prepare the juice like this:

1. Mash the irgu with a masher and leave for a day to infuse in a warm place. Then squeeze it through cheesecloth, pour the resulting juice with the amount of water indicated in the recipe, and leave for another day. Then squeeze the juice through cheesecloth again. This method allows you to preserve the natural yeast that is on the berries, so there is no need to add them to the wort.
2. Mash the irgu and heat on fire to 60°C. Cover with a lid and let it brew for 1 day, then squeeze through cheesecloth. In this case, when preparing the wort, you will have to use brewer's yeast, since the wild yeast will be destroyed when heated.

To obtain 1 liter of juice from serviceberry you will need about 2-3 kg of berries. From this ratio you need to calculate how many will need to be collected to make wine.

Preparation of syrup

If the recipe for making homemade wine from serviceberry involves the use of sugar, then the syrup must be made in advance. This is done like this: pour 2 liters of water into a saucepan and pour 1 kg of sugar into it. After it is completely dissolved, the syrup is boiled for 10 minutes until it thickens a little.

Preparing and filling containers with wort

After preparing the syrup for wine, pour juice into a container and add sugar syrup, cooled to room temperature. The ingredients are taken at the rate of 1 to 2. Mix everything and add wine yeast and juice squeezed from 1 lemon to the mixture. The wort is poured into bottles of at least 3 liters in volume (it is advisable to take large bottles for wine, in which the wine ferments more correctly). They are filled 2/3 full, juice cannot be added to the top, you need to leave a little space for foam, it will form during the fermentation process.

A water seal is installed on top; you can purchase it in a store or make it yourself from a plastic cap and a thin silicone tube (you can use medical tubes). The end of the tube through which carbon dioxide will escape is lowered into a jar of water, which is placed next to the bottle. Fill the jar only halfway with water. The lid, if it does not fit tightly to the rim of the jar, can be wrapped with tape to prevent air from entering and carbon dioxide from escaping.

Fermentation process

In order for the shadberry wort to ferment well, it must be kept in a warm (about 20-24°C) and dark room (so that it is not exposed to sunlight, which increases the acid content in the juice). If it is colder, the wine will ferment poorly; if it is warmer, it will ferment too vigorously.One or the other cannot be allowed. If everything goes correctly, carbon dioxide bubbles will begin to be released as soon as the water seal is installed.

Under such conditions, the wine fermentation process can last approximately 1-1.5 months. Its end will be indicated by the cessation of the release of gas bubbles, the liquid will become lighter and more transparent, and will acquire a crimson color with a violet tint. The finished wine is poured through a straw. To make the liquid move more easily through it, you need to raise the bottle above the ground, placing it on a chair, lower one end of the hose into the wine, and bring the other to your lips and draw in air. The drained liquid is filtered through cheesecloth, poured into jars or bottles, filling them to the very top, and then stored in a cool and dark room.

Terms and conditions of aging

Aged serviceberry wine is much tastier and more aromatic than the one you just won, and for this you need to put it in a cold and dark place for a while. The aging period is at least 6 months. If it is possible to leave it to age longer, then it is worth doing - as in the case of grape wine, the drink made from serviceberry only gets better from this. After six months have passed, the liquid is poured into other containers to remove sediment.

Terms and conditions of storage

Store homemade shadberry wine for up to 5 years in a dark and cold cellar. You can’t keep it in the light or warm, as this will cause it to deteriorate and become cloudy and sour.

An unusual combination, or wine from serviceberry and currants

In addition to the serviceberry itself, the juice of other berries is added to the wine, which gives it a unique taste and aroma. They can be found in any garden or bought at the market.For example, a drink can be prepared according to a simple recipe for wine from serviceberry and red currants, which, having natural acidity, will give it a more noble taste and eliminate excessive cloying.

The sequence for preparing this type of wine is as follows: squeeze the juice from currant berries and serviceberry berries, mix them and add syrup made from 2 liters of water and 1 kg of granulated sugar to the resulting mixture. Pour the wort into cylinders or bottles, put a water seal and leave to ferment in a warm place for a period of 1 to 1.5 months. After completing the process, pour the wine into prepared bottles and place them in a cold cellar.

Recipe for homemade wine from serviceberry with raisins

This is another version of homemade wine made from serviceberry. In addition to the berries themselves, it uses raisins, which give the finished product a unique taste and aroma. It is prepared like this: take 2 kg of berries, 50 g of raisins, 2 liters of water and 1 kg of sugar. The sequence of making this wine is: make sugar syrup, squeeze the juice from the serviceberry, add syrup and raisins to it. The mixture is left to infuse for 3-5 days somewhere in a warm place, after which the juice is drained, filtered and poured into bottles for fermentation. In the future, everything goes exactly the same way as when receiving simple wine prepared according to a classic wine recipe.

Wine from serviceberry and cherry - harmony of taste and aroma

This recipe for homemade wine from serviceberry involves adding juice squeezed from cherries to the wort, which perfectly matches the taste of the main berry and harmoniously complements it. To make homemade wine, take only ripe cherries, wash them and crush them a little so that they release the juice.

To prepare the wort you will need the following ingredients:

• 1.5 kg serviceberry;
• 0.5 kg cherries;
• 2 liters of water;
• 1 kg sugar.

The sequence of making wine from serviceberry and raisins is not complicated. First you need to make sugar syrup, pour the berries into a large bottle or jars, pour syrup on top of them and leave them to ferment in a warm room. In about a month and a half, the drink will be ready, it can be drained, filtered and bottled. The shelf life of such wine is on average 5 years.

A simple recipe for shadberry wine without added sugar

Although serviceberry is not considered sweet, there is a simple recipe for homemade wine from serviceberry without adding granulated sugar: the result is a dry, sour wine. To prepare it you will need only 2 ingredients: water and berries, which must be taken in equal proportions.

The irga is sorted out, washed under running water and the juice is squeezed out of it, and then as much water as needed according to the recipe is poured into it. The liquid is left for 3 days in an open container, after which it is filtered through gauze, the resulting liquid is poured into a bottle and placed in a warm place for fermentation. After its completion, the wine is drained, filtered, bottled and placed in the cellar for storage.

How to make wine from serviceberry and raspberries at home

This sweet berry can add sweetness and a distinctive aroma to wine. How to make wine from serviceberry and raspberries? You need to take 1 liter of juice from these berries, mix them, cook a classic syrup from water and granulated sugar (2 to 1) and add it to the mixture. Mix everything, pour into bottles and set for fermentation. Next, prepare the wine in the same way as according to the traditional recipe. The shelf life is at least six months, but it is better to leave it to age for 1 year or more.

Conclusion

It’s not at all difficult to make wine from serviceberry with your own hands. To do this, you will need a minimum of ingredients: berries, clean water and granulated sugar.The process of making wine also does not take much time and is not difficult, so anyone can prepare it at home.

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